Coal-dist



(No Model.)

0. M. ODONOVAN.

GOAL DISTRIBUTING GHUTE.

N0. 35Z,344. Patented Nov. 9, 1886.

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UNITED STATES -PATENT Demon.

CORNELIUS M. ODONOVAN, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

COAL-DlSTRlBUTlNG CHUTE.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 352,344, dated November9, 1886,

Application filed May 18, ltSG. Serial No. 202,582.

To rrZl whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CORNELIUS M. ODON- ,OVAN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State ofNebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inGoal-Distributing Chutes; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertaius to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to improvements in coal-distributing chutes, and isespecially adapted for loading railway-cars or locomotive-tenders, butmay be used for any other similar purposes. It may-also be used as adistributiugchute for grain or other material. The object of myinvention is to provide means whereby a receiving-hopper may beconnected as desired with chutes arranged to deliver coal or othermaterial on either side of the supportingframe of the hopper.

With this object in'view mysaid invention consists, essentially, of areceiving-hopper having an open bottom and supported on a suitableframing, in. combination with inclined chutes located below the hopperand leading to opposite sides of the framing, and a tilting gate pivotedat its center below the bottom of the hopper, and so arranged that whentilted on one side it will form an upward continuation of the chute onthe side toward which it is tilted and connect it with the bottom of thereceiving-hopper, and at the same time will cut off communication withthe chute on the opposite side of the framing, and when tilted on theopposite side a like result will be ei'- fected with the other chute.

It further consists in providing each of the chutes with adjustableaprons hinged to the lower ends of said chutes. and having weights whichnormally hold said aprons up and out of the way. These aprons areconnected with the tilting gate by suitable rods, whereby when either ofthe aprons is drawn down the gate will be tilted on that side andestablish communication between the receiving hopper and the chute towhich said apron is hinged, and will be held in that position untiltheapron is released and the weight causes it to return to its normalposition, when the tilting gate will also be released.

(No model.) V

The particular construction and arrangement of the various parts of myinvention I will now proceed to point out and describe, reference beinghad to the act ompanying drawings. in which Figure 1 is an end elevationof an apparatus ing and one end of the hopper being broken same, one ofthe hinged gates being drawn down ready for use. Referring tosaiddrawings, A represents a supported a receiving-hopper, B, havinginclined sides and an open bottom. per may be located between the railsof a cartrack on top of the framing or trestle,as shown inthe drawings.The car containing the coal or other material is then run over thehopper and its contents dumped directly into said hopper, or the coal orother material may be conveyed to the hopper in any other manner.

top of the framing or trestle, and said bin or receiver can be connectedwith the hopper in any suitable manner.

0 O are similarly-inclined timbers extending from the center of theframing to opposite sides of the same, the upper ends of said timbersbeing joined together in any suitable manner a line with the centerofthe'bottom of thehop- I per B. The timbers O (J are secured to sidebars of the framing, and have their lower ends, a c, projecting beyondthesides of said framing. D D are inclined chutes supported on thetimbers O O, and leading to opposite sides of the framing.

E is a tilting gate located below the bottom of the hopper B and pivotedat its longitudinal center to the ridge 0. When this gate is tilted toone side, the side of the gate which moves down rests on the upperportion ofv one of the chutes, and the opposite side of the gate engagesthe opposite lower edge of hopper, thus establishing communicationbetween the hopper and chute, toward which the gate is tilted, and atthe same time cutting off communication with the opposite chute.

F Fare adjustable aprons hinged to thelower ends of the chutes D D. Whenin use, the aprons rest on the projecting ends 0 c of the suitableframing or trestle, on top of which'is This hop-- If'desired, a bin orreceiver may belocaied on embodying my invention, portion of the tramaway; and Fig. 2 is a side elevation oi the 7 and forminga ridge, 0,directly under and in timbers C C and form a Continuation of the chutesD D.

f f are arms on the opposite sides of the aprons. From these arms aresuspended counterbalanceweights G G, which serve to draw the aprons upand out of the way when not in use.

H H are ropes or chains secured to the outer ends of aprons, by means ofwhich said aprons are pulled down in position for service. Any othersuitable means may be used for operating the aprons.

I I arejointed rods pivotal] y secured at one end to the sides of theaprons F F, the other ends of said rods being pivotally secured to thetilting gate E at points 011 opposite sides ot'its center or pivot line.

To use either chute, the apron hinged to the same is drawn down until itrests on the pro- 20 jecting ends c of the timbers C C. The jointed.rods connecting said apron with the gate E --rods I I are secured tothe tilting gate at one side of its pivot-line, the line of strain isalso to one side of said pivot line, and holds said gate securely inposition and prevents it from tilting toward the other chute as the coalor other material falls on its upper portion.

As heretofore stated, my invention may be used for distributing materialof various kinds,

I andl do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to itsapplication as a coal-chute.

Having thus fully described my invention. what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an apparatus for distributing coal or other material, two chutesprovided with adjustable aprons hinged to their lower ends, incombination with atilting gate located above the upper ends of thechutes, and suitable means connecting the adjustable aprons with thetilting gate, all arranged and operating to the end that as either ofsaid aprons is adjusted in position for service the gate will be tiltedto communicate with the chute desired to be used and will be held inposition, substantially as shown and described.

2. In an apparatus for distributing coal or other material, a hopper orreceiver supported on a suitable framing and having an open 'bottom, twochutes located below the bottom of the hopper or receiver and providedwith adjustable aprons hingedfto their lower ends, in combination with atilting'gate located intertnediately between the bottom ofthe hopper orreceiver and upper ends of the chutes, and connected by suitable rodswith the adjustable aprons, all arranged and operating to the end thatas either of said aprons is adjusted in position for service the gatewill be tilted to communicate with the chute desired to be used and willbe held in position, substantially as shown and described.

3. In an apparatus for distributing coal or other material, the hopperB, having an open bottom, the inclined chutes D D, provided with theadjustable aprons F F, having the connterbalanceweights H H, incombination with the tilting gate E, located iutermediately between thebottom of the hopper and upper ends of the chutes, and connected bysuitable rods, I I, with the adjustable aprons, all arranged andoperating substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I atfix my'signature in presence of two witnesses.

CORNELIUS M. ODONOVAN. Witnesses:

J. E. RILEY, 0. W. HUBBARD.

